by Mindy Aguon

Guam - A procurement protest over sirens that were purchased five years ago has been resolved, but because they've been sitting in a warehouse for so long the Department of Public Works has to see if they still work. The sirens were purchased in 2007 to cover 80 percent of the island in low-lying areas and places that are frequently visited.

Guam Homeland Security spokesperson Alyssa Benito said, "We initially wanted to mirror the military system so in the event a tsunami were to occur and something were to happen to our siren system we can tap on them for their help or other resources. Unfortunately it was protested and it went to the Attorney General's Office, so it was just recently cleared and we were given the go ahead to move on the project."

There's no word at this time on when the sirens will be tested. GHS had planned to set aside funding every year to purchase additional sirens, not only for tsunamis but other hazards.

This week meanwhile is Tsunami Awareness Week, and officials will be going to schools to educate students about what to do in the event of a tsunami alert for Guam.